Why Your Nervous System May Be The Most Important Factor In Healing Your Health
- Brainz Magazine
- Dec 26, 2024
- 5 min read
Stephanie Taylor is a Health and Wellness Coach specialised in Hormone Health. Based in the UK but available to assist anyone worldwide to ensure optimal hormone health and overall wellbeing.
You must have heard many people talk about the nervous system regarding health and regulating your stress response. Things like breathwork, reducing stress through mindfulness and meditation, relaxing exercise, and eating a nutrient-dense diet are often mentioned. However, the mind-body connection is one of the most powerful and often underappreciated components of this. When it comes to healing and maintaining health, the role of your nervous system, in combination with the mind-body connection, cannot be overstated. The nervous system is the communication network that links your brain to every cell in your body, influencing everything from your immune response to your emotions, stress levels, and ability to recover from illness or injury.
In this article, we will explore why the nervous system is so fundamental to healing and what you need to understand about the relationship between your mind and body when it comes to restoring your health.
1. The nervous system is the body’s communication network
Your nervous system is essentially the body’s communication highway. It consists of the brain, spinal cord, and a massive network of nerves that extend to every part of the body. This system controls all bodily functions, from simple reflexes to complex processes like hormone regulation, organ function, and immune response.
When you experience an injury, illness, or stress, your nervous system responds and sends signals throughout your body to facilitate healing. For example, pain signals travel from an injured area to the brain, prompting actions like reducing movement to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, your autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls processes that you do not have to consciously think about, such as heart rate, digestion, and immune system function.
This system does more than just react to physical stimuli; it also helps maintain balance, or homeostasis, in the body. Whether you're dealing with a physical injury or emotional distress, the nervous system is often the first line of protection in managing how your body responds and heals.
2. Stress alters the nervous system and impedes healing
One of the key ways the nervous system influences health is through its stress response. The autonomic nervous system is divided into two major branches: the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), which is responsible for the "fight or flight" response, and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), which is involved in the "rest and digest" state.
If you are experiencing chronic stress, your SNS remains activated, leading to a prolonged state of heightened alertness. In this state, your body is flooded with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones can be helpful in the short term (such as during an emergency); however, chronic activation of the stress response can have devastating long-term effects on health. Chronic stress can:
Suppress immune function, making you more vulnerable to illness.
Slow down tissue repair and regeneration.
Increase inflammation, which is linked to conditions like heart disease, arthritis, and autoimmune disorders.
Disrupt sleep patterns, further impacting healing and overall well-being.
To counteract the detrimental effects of stress, the parasympathetic nervous system needs to be activated. When this occurs, the body enters a state of relaxation, promoting recovery, reducing inflammation, and supporting overall healing. This is why practices like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga, which activate the parasympathetic system, are often recommended to support health.
3. The mind-body connection plays a crucial role in recovery
The brain and nervous system have a remarkable ability to influence healing. This is particularly evident in the way emotions, thoughts, and mental states can affect physical health. For example, research in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (the study of how the mind affects the immune system) shows that mental states like stress, anxiety, and depression can impair immune function and delay healing, while positive emotions like optimism and joy can enhance it.
How you think about your illness or recovery can directly influence the outcome. People who maintain a positive outlook or engage in mindfulness-based practices often experience faster recovery times and better overall health outcomes. The mind-body connection highlights the importance of addressing physical symptoms alongside the mental and emotional factors that may be contributing to illness or slowing down recovery.
You may have heard about the placebo effect, where patients believe they are receiving effective treatment or medication (even if it is just a sugar pill) and still experience real improvement in their symptoms. This is an example of how the mind influences the body. It also demonstrates the power of the nervous system to respond to mental and emotional signals, influencing the body’s healing processes.
Related article: What is the Placebo Effect
Related article: The Powerful Placebo
4. Your nervous system has the power to rewire itself
One of the most hopeful aspects of understanding the mind-body connection is neuroplasticity, which is the ability of the nervous system to rearrange and form new neural connections. This phenomenon means the nervous system is not static but adaptable. When you experience an injury, illness, or trauma, your brain and nervous system can rewire themselves to find new pathways and solutions, which is a vital component of healing.
For example, if you are recovering from a physical injury, the nervous system can help reestablish motor function by creating new pathways that avoid damaged areas. Likewise, individuals with chronic pain or conditions like fibromyalgia often benefit from practices like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which helps "retrain" the brain to perceive pain differently and reduce the emotional reaction to it.
In the context of emotional health, neuroplasticity suggests that by consistently engaging in practices like mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive reframing, you can "rewire" your brain to respond to stress more calmly, shift negative thought patterns, and improve your emotional resilience. This is why therapies focused on changing mental patterns or mindsets toward your health and healing can have such a profound impact on overall well-being.
Related Article: How to Regulate your Emotions: A guide to Nervous System Regulation with Simple Habits
Conclusion: Healing starts with the nervous system
The nervous system plays a fundamental role in every aspect of health and healing. From its role in communication and immune function to its influence on emotional states and stress responses, the nervous system is the central control system for the body’s healing process. Understanding the mind-body connection and how the nervous system influences both physical and emotional health is essential for fostering healing and well-being.
Whether you’re recovering from an illness, injury, or emotional trauma, taking steps to support your nervous system through stress management, mindfulness, and practices that promote relaxation can accelerate healing, increase your body’s resilience, and improve overall health. By learning to nurture your nervous system and strengthen the connection between mind and body, you empower yourself to take charge of your health in profound and lasting ways.
If you're ready to take control of your nervous system health and rewire your mind toward healing, I invite you to schedule a free discovery call with me today. Let's work together to unlock your full potential for health and vitality. I can help you with simple mindset shifts to rewire your thought patterns toward healing, as well as strategies to nourish your nervous system and activate the “rest and digest” state where all healing and recovery take place. Book a free discovery call by clicking here.
Your body was designed to heal itself, and when you give it the right conditions and feed it positive thoughts, it will!
Stephanie Taylor, Hormone Health and Wellness Coach
Stephanie Taylor a Health & Wellness Coach specialised in Hormone Health. Stephanie addresses the root cause of hormonal imbalances taking into account a multidimensional approach. One where physical, mental, emotional & spiritual aspects are addressed collectively. She strongly believes in the mind body approach to health and how mindset is the biggest factor in any health journey.
Stephanie addresses nutrition, lifestyle & mindset practices to coach you to better health and wellbeing, whilst ensuring sustainable, manageable shifts are made.
.jpg)
